How to Decide the Length of a Podcast

Once you decide to publish a podcast, your work is far from over. You've chosen a topic. You've found a place to publish. You've decided how often to publish. You've got the equipment you need to record and edit. But have you thought about how long your podcasts will be?

While there are no set rules about podcast length, there are some steps you can take to help determine how long your own podcast should be.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Consider your topic and how often you plan to publish: How much information is available? How much information will you be including? Is there quite a bit to share or will you have to spend time really looking for the information you plan to publish?

2. Consider how much time you have to dedicate to your podcast: If you only have 2 hours a week to devote to your podcast, consider limiting your podcast to half an hour or less so you'll have time to research, write, record and edit the episode.

3. Consider the format of your podcast: If you have a co-host, you will have an easier time with a longer podcast. If it's just you, you may want to consider a shorter broadcast.

4. Consider other podcasts on your topic: How long are the episodes that they publish?

5. Consider your audience: What else will they be doing while they listen? Think about what information you have that they'll be able to really hear during each podcast you publish.

6. Look over the notes you've made. Think about the way you structure your podcast, the way you share your information and how others have set up their podcasts.

7. Decide how long your podcast will be based on your notes and your target audience.

Tips & Warnings

• Your podcast should be as long as it needs to be—no shorter and no longer.
• If you worry that your podcast is too short or too long, ask your subscribers for their input; many people are more than happy to share their opinions.
• Listen to podcasts that are similar to yours; take notes about their length and structure. Keep in mind that when you start losing focus while listening, other listeners might too. Use that as a guideline to help determine how long your podcast should be.
• If you aren't sure what your audience is looking for from your podcast, ask for feedback.
• Consider the amount of space you have for storing your podcasts. The longer the podcast, the more bandwidth you will need to have available with your hosting.